USAID is the development arm of the U.S. Government. In India, we work in partnership with the Government of India to support its development goals. Our work focuses primarily on delivering quality healthcare, education, safe water, clean energy, sustainable forests, gender equality agriculture and reducing the risk of disasters to a fast growing population. We work in these sectors to contribute to India’s priority development initiatives such as the Swachh Bharat Mission, the Call to Action to End TB, and Padhe Bharat Badhe Bharat. These goals are, of course, closely tied to the global sustainable development goals. Padhe Bharat Bhadhe Bharat is unequivocally linked to the “Quality Education” and “Reduced Inequalities” sustainable development goals.  In the same way that all the SDGs and Government of India development priorities are interlinked and cross-sectoral, so too, should be the efforts to achieve them.

As educators, you all know how critical reading skills are to establishing the foundations for successful learning and supporting development. Those skills enable the wonder and joy that can come through education, and they are best acquired at an early age. Albert Einstein made the point in a beautiful expression as follows: “It is the supreme art of the teacher to awaken joy in creative expression and knowledge.”  As teachers, educators, administrators and policy makers, we owe it to our young learners to help them acquire the spark that unleashes their creative spirits and talents.

Acting DG Toni, Representatives of the Department of Social Services, and all workshop organizers and participants, good morning. It is a pleasure to join you for in opening this event. It is another milestone in the U. S. Agency for International Development’ partnership with the government of South Africa and its Department for Social Development in pursuit of the millennial goals for curbing HIVAIDS.

On behalf of the U.S. government and Ambassador Malac, I would like to take this opportunity to thank the Government of Uganda, and specifically the Ministry of Health and local government, for being here today.  I am honoured to join you in celebrating USAID’s renewal of partnerships in support for healthy outcomes in the Lango region.  Together, we are stronger in our commitment to address challenges in the Lango sub-region and put forth coordinated solutions to improve Lango’s health systems. Though we are here to celebrate this launch, I also want to express our condolences regarding the losses of esteemed leaders in Lira mentioned earlier.